# Fred Lampropoulos **Type:** person **Status:** Draft **Confidence:** Medium **Focus:** medical devices, interventional cardiology, manufacturing, founder-operator, public company leadership **Location:** South Jordan, UT **Updated:** 2026-06-19 **Hero:** https://picsum.photos/seed/fred-lampropoulos-merit-medical/1600/1100 **Relates:** helps [Merit Medical Systems](merit-medical.md) ## Summary Fred Lampropoulos is the founder of [Merit Medical Systems](merit-medical.md), a South Jordan, Utah company that designs and manufactures disposable interventional devices — catheters, micro-access kits, embolization devices, ablation tools, and stents — used by interventional cardiologists, radiologists, and oncologists. He founded the company in 1987 and served as its leader for nearly four decades. Public records describe Merit Medical as a NASDAQ-listed mid-cap (MMSI) with approximately $1.3 billion in annual revenue and more than 6,000 employees globally, making it the largest medical-device employer in the Mountain West. In October 2025, Lampropoulos handed the CEO role to Martha Aronson — a succession event after roughly 38 years leading a company he built from the ground up. The available evidence suggests he remains associated with the company in some capacity, though his post-succession role has not been confirmed from primary sources reviewed here. ## Impact Lampropoulos built Merit Medical during the same era that minimally invasive medicine — catheter-based cardiac procedures, image-guided biopsies, endovascular interventions — transformed clinical care. He took what became a globally consequential medical-device manufacturer and kept it headquartered and substantially manufactured in Utah for nearly forty years, during a period when many peers relocated operations offshore or to coastal hubs. The direct impact is visible in scale: millions of procedures annually that use Merit's disposable devices, a Utah workforce that numbers in the thousands, and a track record of integrating acquired product lines while maintaining quality-system reliability. Over nearly four decades, he also established Utah as a credible home for medical-device companies of global reach — a less tangible but real contribution to the state's life-sciences ecosystem. ## What They Offer Based on his public record as a long-tenure founder-operator of a large public medical-device company, Lampropoulos's experience appears to include: - Building and scaling a regulated medical-device manufacturer from founding through $1B+ annual revenue - Operating in FDA-regulated environments across 510(k) and PMA pathways over multiple regulatory cycles - Managing public-company governance, investor relations, and capital allocation as founder-CEO - Integrating acquired product lines and manufacturing systems into an existing quality footprint - Sustaining a founder-operator culture through decades of growth Specific advisory, board, or mentoring availability beyond the public record is not confirmed here. ## What They Are Looking For No public statements of current personal interests or priorities following the CEO transition have been identified from sources reviewed in this pass. The October 2025 succession to Martha Aronson is recent enough that his post-founder role has not been fully documented publicly. Individuals interested in connecting should pursue institutional paths through Merit Medical. ## Proof of Work - Founded Merit Medical Systems in 1987 in South Jordan, UT - Led Merit as founder-operator for approximately 38 years - Grew company to NASDAQ listing (MMSI), ~$1.3B annual revenue, 6,000+ global employees - Positioned Merit as the largest medical-device employer in the Mountain West - Oversaw acquisitions including Pentax C2 CryoBalloon for gastrointestinal cryotherapy (late 2025) - Oversaw launch of Micro ACE advanced micro-access system - Executed founder succession, transitioning CEO role to Martha Aronson in October 2025 ## Good Fits - Medical-device founders in Utah seeking perspective from a long-tenure founder-operator who scaled a regulated manufacturer over decades - Life-sciences investors evaluating Utah medical-device companies who want context on the local ecosystem and talent base - University programs and accelerators seeking experienced operators as speakers, mentors, or advisors on building capital-efficient physical-product companies - Policy and economic-development conversations about Utah's manufacturing and life-sciences workforce ## Public Connection Path - Merit Medical Systems investor-relations and public-company materials - Utah life-sciences and business community events where Merit Medical is represented - Public statements and press associated with Merit Medical's product launches and leadership transition No direct personal email, phone, or unverified social profiles are listed here. ## Evidence - [Merit Medical Systems](merit-medical.md) - [Source: Pentax C2 CryoBalloon Acquisition Announcement](merit-medical-pentax-cryoballoon-acquisition.md) ## See Also - [Merit Medical Systems](merit-medical.md) ## Open Questions - What is Lampropoulos's specific role, if any, at Merit Medical following the October 2025 CEO transition? Board chair, executive chair, or retired? - What does his personal record of philanthropic or civic engagement in Utah look like? Not confirmed here. - Are there publicly documented advisory relationships or board seats outside Merit Medical? - The ~$1.3B revenue and 6,000-employee figures come from secondary public coverage and should be verified against Merit Medical's most recent annual report before use in high-stakes recommendations. - A cleared portrait or facility photograph should replace the placeholder hero before this page is rendered prominently.